HD faces an uncertain future but keeps on winning

As the figure of the tall, toned Marc-Pro Strava team rider crested the final hill, he simply pointed to the sky as his bike free-wheeled across the finish line. Shortly after, Christopher Harland-Dunaway held up two fingers, marking his second Berkeley Hills Road Race victory in consecutive years.

"Its funny how romantic us cyclists get with out history" said Dunaway after his victory. The Berkeley Hills Road Race is the oldest continuous road race in America; it brings some of the strongest riders from across California to race agaisnt one another and Chris "HD" has gotten the best of all of them two years in a row now.

HD broke away late in the race and soloed the rest of the way for another win in his hometown race. "We threw everything we had at him and he was tough as nails. Christopher Harland-Dunaway is a norcal legend" said Roman Kiluan of rival team Mike's Bikes.

The "NorCal Legend" grew up skateboarding and had childhood dreams of skipping college to become a professional. He began running cross country and track & field in high school and continued to run as a walk-on at UC Davis. However, years of injury and frustration pushed Chris away from the track and led to his discovery of cycling. He continued his new love for cycling through college and now focuses his energy the sport as well as writing as a journalist, storyteller, and copywriter (Click here to check out an example of HD's freelance journalism).

HD has been with Marc-Pro Strava team ever since graduating from UC Davis and has enjoyed three good seasons with the elite team filled with individual and team wins. Despite his sucesses,

Chris is still currently riding without a salary and is looking to sign next year in order to make a poverty-line salary to keep his professional cycling career going. Cycling has not been commercialized in the US the same way major sports such as football, baseball, and basketball have. Cycling races often takes place on public roads, allowing spectators to picnic roadside and see the best professionals in the US race for free. Logistically, it is difficult to film these races, which often span 4+ hours, and present coverage to a US audience which is mostly unfamiliar with all of the interesting ways the sport plays out on the raod.

It's incredibily difficult to make a living as a professional rcyclist, especially in the US. Pro cycling is divided into three tiers - ProTour, Pro Continential, and Continential. ProTour cyclists make an average of $75,000 to $100,000 (comparable to a Triple A player in baseball) but these are the best cyclist in the WORLD. The US has 2 Pro Contential teams for a grand total of about 18 Americans riders who make about $45,000 a year plus healthcare. Chris falls into the Contential rider tier who are lucky to make the poverty line (~$14,000/year) for a salary.

Contential pros make up most of the American professionals and are pedaling poor by every account. Most riders are riding without a salary or sign for $5,000/year or less because USA cycling doesn't impose a minimum wage requirement for its Contential pros. People like Chris scarfice almost everything just to do the sport they love. This means living with parents, friends, or family and eating ramen every day.

Even the NorCal Legend, as talented and hard-working as he is, faces an uncertain future: "Its frustrating for any good rider, just trying to get by, but there comes a point where its just not feasible anymore, it wears you down. If this was a truly professional sport and I could make a decent living, I'd say I'd ride into my early thirties, but it's impossible for me to day. There a lot of luck."

The uncertain state of professional cycling in the US should not diminish the dominance HD displayed on the paved roads of the Berkeley Hills. Out of all the victories across his professional career, HD's latest win was the proudest of his career. You might think that the Marc-Pro Strava rider's point to the sky symbolizes his triumph over his competition but few realize that gesture was actually to honor his mom, who died five years ago of ovarian cancer, during Mother's Day weekend.

"I rode for her, and to win in that situation was very emotional. It was the perfect day. That was for you Mama. Happy Mother's Day."

#cycling #bike #roadrace